Winner of the 2019 Heritage Toronto Book Award

Shortlisted for the 2019 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize

“Moncrieff eloquently reminds readers of the bounty and beauty that surround them.” —Publishers Weekly

Our cities are places of food polarities — food deserts and farmers’ markets, hunger and food waste, fast food delivery and urban gardening. While locavores and preserving pros abound, many of us can’t identify the fruit trees in our yards or declare a berry safe to eat. Those plants — and the people who planted them — are often forgotten.

In The Fruitful City, Helena Moncrieff examines our relationship with food through the fruit trees that dot city streets and yards. She tracks the origins of these living heirlooms and questions how they went from being subsistence staples to raccoon fodder. But in some cities, previously forgotten fruit is now in high demand, and Moncrieff investigates the surge of non-profit urban harvest organizations that try to prevent that food from rotting on concrete and meets the people putting rescued fruit to good use.

As she travels across Canada, slipping into backyards, visiting community orchards, and taking in canning competitions, Moncrieff discovers that attitudinal changes are more important than agricultural ones. While the bounty of apples is great, reconnecting with nature and our community is the real prize.

An exploration of the community, culture, and social change that springs from harvesting oft-neglected urban fruit trees.

Introduction

1: Putting Down Roots: Immigrants Arrive Bearing Fruit

2: Planting Seeds: The Victoria Fruit Tree Project

3: Up a Tree: The Experience

4: The Fruits of Our Labour: Sharing the Bounty

5: Urban Orchards: The Community Heads Back Outside

6: Withering on the Vine: The Slide to Food Illiteracy

7: Wassail: Celebrating under the Trees

Conclusion: Waiting for Spring

“Moncrieff eloquently reminds readers of the bounty and beauty that surround them.” — Publishers Weekly (online)

“What a lovely reminder that cities are agricultural landscapes! These stories are rich evidence of the delicious connection that is available to us when we lift our eyes and look out to our yards and parks for nourishment. Helena's encouragement to trust and indulge in the urban harvest is an inspiring narrative that broadens our understanding of the local food movement.” — Joshna Maharaj, chef, writer and activist

“The Fruitful City takes us on a walk into Toronto’s secret orchards and gardens and discovers a city of food. Moncrieff introduces us to people who take care of the urban bounty today and shows how the community connections growing food fosters can help create a more resilient urban future in Toronto and beyond.” — Shawn Micallef, author of Frontier City: Toronto on the Verge of Greatness and The Trouble With Brunch: Work, Class and the Pursuit of Leisure

“Gardening can be a powerful way to build community. Moncrieff’s stories show how urban fruit growing and picking is often as much about community as it is about the fruit itself.” — Farm, Food, Garden newsletter

“This inventive investigation into the urban fruit tree surprises and delights as much as it educates, all while having an accessible and entertaining conversation with the reader.” — Local Love